James: if all my abilities were compounded into whole languages, I'd probably know about 5 or 6, but unfortunately as of yet I haven't "finished" learning any language other than English (although I do have reasonable success with "singlish" and a lot of the time I have success with pidgins and creoles, I had a dutch friend who claimed he knew Afrikaans once... sort of the same) meaning that I am not really fluent in anything other than English, but as for foreign languages, with vocabulary I feel most comfortable in Spanish, with grammar most comfortable in Japanese (lol, most people jump when I say I am more comfortable with Japanese grammar than I am Spanish even though I've had about the same time in each and Spanish grammar is generally easier for people with English as their 1st language to learn)
My linguistic skills are one big mess. I can do a bit of Mandarin (enough to impress Chinese friends at parties, I can ask for things or invite people in, and lots more, but it's still pretty basic), but my friend laughed at me, and said "you sound like mao zedong when you speak mandarin, you sound like a rural chinese who speaks a non-mandarin dialect as their first language"... lol.
I have found that I have skills beyond what I previously thought in French and Mandarin (sometimes I will find myself conversing with somebody in a language I previously thought I had almost 0 ability in)
Right now most of my time is consumed with an illness and I for sure do not have the time or the energy to travel abroad. Using a traditional chinese doctor (the teas he makes me drink are nasty, maybe you know that sort of stuff?) I have improved quite a bit and maybe I will be able to get back on track soon. (last fall I was going to officially start learning Mandarin, but alas my disease came out of remission and I had a flareup which kept me down to Japanese on Saturdays... how unfortunate)
I expect a fair bit of torture for this message, I was under the impression that some people were under the impression that I was a very impressive polyglot with knowledge of 30+ languages, maybe I can still accomplish that... but no, I do not know 30+ languages.
When I do get the chance to travel abroad I think I'll pick up the language quickly as I have a talent for learning languages which has surprised even myself.
I _can_ read Dutch a little bit, but it doesn't come easy for me and I've never taken formal Dutch lessons.
meh... long post all jumbled up.
why?
Re: why?
lol. Chinese ones? I can get along a bit in Mandarin, mostly what I do at the moment with Chinese languages involves unfortunately learning more about them than learning them, although I hope to change that this spring (and the way things are going now, I probably will)
To answer your question in the languages I can sort of speak...
日本語が分かる。 スペイン語も分かる。
Hablo Japonés y Español.
Of course I am quite proud (for some reason) of being able to read Portuguese without knowing what it means, to me it seems like an art (go to Brazil and see how people say "de"... it's not what people expect)
To answer your question in the languages I can sort of speak...
日本語が分かる。 スペイン語も分かる。
Hablo Japonés y Español.
Of course I am quite proud (for some reason) of being able to read Portuguese without knowing what it means, to me it seems like an art (go to Brazil and see how people say "de"... it's not what people expect)
-
James Campbell
Re: why?
Mark,
I really feel not so good to hear about your disease, it does sound serious if it keeps you from doing regular activities. How did you get this disease?
Funny you say about Portuguese, because Brazil is supposed to be the easier one to understand, at least they pronounce "most" of their letters although they have all undergone a vowel shift different than most languages. However, the Prtgsh of Prtgl is the hrd one to undrstnd because although they write vowels in their words, they don't really pronounce them, they might as well be speaking something like Georgian Kartvelian, or write their language like Arabic.
Mark, how do you read Portuguese without knowing what it means? I think anybody can read any language and not know what it means, and should we call it an art? In fact I once picked up a Georgian linguistics book, and when I read that Georgian I sure didn't know what it meant.
By the way, this past week I had some initial contact with Finnish and it peaked my interest, definitely a language that I will investigate more of in the future and maybe even study fully one day. I couldn't even recognize or understand a single written word of that language.
Anne heN-iao, sui-jian li e-hiao kong zit-gi, a-mko goa si chinglai it-tit liah-chun li-e taigi si siuN-ho-e. so-i goa mng li, li-e taigi e lenglek anchoaN hianih ho, si tui to-ui oh-e? asi goa sia chit-e banlamoe li long khoaNbo?
(phaiN-se, ka goa siong-bin sia-e kangkhoan, sui-jian chia si khehka-e luntuaN, tansi goa sia khehka-oe long bue thong.)
James
I really feel not so good to hear about your disease, it does sound serious if it keeps you from doing regular activities. How did you get this disease?
Funny you say about Portuguese, because Brazil is supposed to be the easier one to understand, at least they pronounce "most" of their letters although they have all undergone a vowel shift different than most languages. However, the Prtgsh of Prtgl is the hrd one to undrstnd because although they write vowels in their words, they don't really pronounce them, they might as well be speaking something like Georgian Kartvelian, or write their language like Arabic.
Mark, how do you read Portuguese without knowing what it means? I think anybody can read any language and not know what it means, and should we call it an art? In fact I once picked up a Georgian linguistics book, and when I read that Georgian I sure didn't know what it meant.
By the way, this past week I had some initial contact with Finnish and it peaked my interest, definitely a language that I will investigate more of in the future and maybe even study fully one day. I couldn't even recognize or understand a single written word of that language.
Anne heN-iao, sui-jian li e-hiao kong zit-gi, a-mko goa si chinglai it-tit liah-chun li-e taigi si siuN-ho-e. so-i goa mng li, li-e taigi e lenglek anchoaN hianih ho, si tui to-ui oh-e? asi goa sia chit-e banlamoe li long khoaNbo?
(phaiN-se, ka goa siong-bin sia-e kangkhoan, sui-jian chia si khehka-e luntuaN, tansi goa sia khehka-oe long bue thong.)
James
Re: why?
>I really feel not so good to hear about your disease, it does sound serious
>if it keeps you from doing regular activities. How did you get this disease?
It isn't known yet how people get ulcerative colitis, but it's not contagious, and some say it may be related to stress.
>Funny you say about Portuguese, because Brazil is supposed to be the >easier one to understand, at least they pronounce "most" of their letters >although they have all undergone a vowel shift different than most >languages. However, the Prtgsh of Prtgl is the hrd one to undrstnd >because although they write vowels in their words, they don't really >pronounce them, they might as well be speaking something like Georgian >Kartvelian, or write their language like Arabic.
Haha, yes.
>Mark, how do you read Portuguese without knowing what it means?
>I think anybody can read any language and not know what it means, and >should we call it an art?
Nonono, most people you pass by in the street in most countries will not be able to read 日本書紀 to you, or a book in Chinese, or Georgian.
And reading Portuguese is very fun for me, because it's different than what I'm used to, and I think it sounds beautiful. (of course, anybody can say that about any language, but I think Portuguese sounds beautiful)
>In fact I once picked up a Georgian linguistics book, and when I read that >Georgian I sure didn't know what it meant.
Yes, but how many people in Taibei do you think could read that book?
>By the way, this past week I had some initial contact with Finnish and it >peaked my interest, definitely a language that I will investigate more of in >the future and maybe even study fully one day. I couldn't even recognize >or understand a single written word of that language.
Yes, it is an interesting language.
>if it keeps you from doing regular activities. How did you get this disease?
It isn't known yet how people get ulcerative colitis, but it's not contagious, and some say it may be related to stress.
>Funny you say about Portuguese, because Brazil is supposed to be the >easier one to understand, at least they pronounce "most" of their letters >although they have all undergone a vowel shift different than most >languages. However, the Prtgsh of Prtgl is the hrd one to undrstnd >because although they write vowels in their words, they don't really >pronounce them, they might as well be speaking something like Georgian >Kartvelian, or write their language like Arabic.
Haha, yes.
>Mark, how do you read Portuguese without knowing what it means?
>I think anybody can read any language and not know what it means, and >should we call it an art?
Nonono, most people you pass by in the street in most countries will not be able to read 日本書紀 to you, or a book in Chinese, or Georgian.
And reading Portuguese is very fun for me, because it's different than what I'm used to, and I think it sounds beautiful. (of course, anybody can say that about any language, but I think Portuguese sounds beautiful)
>In fact I once picked up a Georgian linguistics book, and when I read that >Georgian I sure didn't know what it meant.
Yes, but how many people in Taibei do you think could read that book?
>By the way, this past week I had some initial contact with Finnish and it >peaked my interest, definitely a language that I will investigate more of in >the future and maybe even study fully one day. I couldn't even recognize >or understand a single written word of that language.
Yes, it is an interesting language.
-
Kobo-Daishi
Re: why?
Dear Mark,
> It isn't known yet how people get ulcerative colitis, but it's not contagious, and some say it may be related to stress.
Stress, huh. Then you should try to relax and “live and let live”.
Don’t be bothered by the little things (requests for tattoos in Chinese, the Chinese ‘alphabet’, a separate Cantonese republic for sum nut; posts by a Korean-centric fellow claiming everything for Korea, etc.)
When all else fails, remember that great Beatles song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” with the lyrics that go “Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly. The girl with colitis goes by.”
Can you believe that some people actually think that “the girl with colitis goes by” is what John’s singing in the song?
If you do a search of “kaleidoscope eyes” and “colitis” you get 73 “hits” at "Google".
Kobo-Daishi, PLLA.
> It isn't known yet how people get ulcerative colitis, but it's not contagious, and some say it may be related to stress.
Stress, huh. Then you should try to relax and “live and let live”.
Don’t be bothered by the little things (requests for tattoos in Chinese, the Chinese ‘alphabet’, a separate Cantonese republic for sum nut; posts by a Korean-centric fellow claiming everything for Korea, etc.)
When all else fails, remember that great Beatles song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” with the lyrics that go “Picture yourself in a boat on a river with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly. The girl with colitis goes by.”
Can you believe that some people actually think that “the girl with colitis goes by” is what John’s singing in the song?
If you do a search of “kaleidoscope eyes” and “colitis” you get 73 “hits” at "Google".
Kobo-Daishi, PLLA.
Re: why?
James Campbell wrote:Since you bring it up and I don't mean to boast but if you think 4 is special:
Hi Mr. Campbell,
I was truly amazed with your ability to master all those languages. I was an international flight attendants for two major US carriers and had the opportunity to meet multi-lingual people such yourself but what suprising to me was that most of them were such "down to earth" (humble) people. They did not advertise their language abilities. I sincerely believe that Ji did not intend to boast about his/her ability to speak 3 chinese dialects but to explain why majority chinese people are able to speak at least 3 dialects. I feel bad for Ji because most the replies are sarcastic and hurtful toward him, especially critizing his English. Let us be kind and support each other and treat others the way we want to be treated. Have a marvelous day.
Mia
I speak English, German, Italian, Russian, Mandarin, Minnan, and Wu, in addition to reading ability in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Polish, Czech, Croatian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovenian, Ukrainian, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Malay, and Indonesian. In addition to those I have basic ability in Cantonese, Hakka, Arabic, Mongolian, Uyghur, Turkish, Hungarian, and Hindi.
If you add them up, that's 7 languages I speak, 19 more I comprehend, and 8 more with basic abilities. That's 34, so, 3 or 4 languages in comparison is nothing special.
Those 19 languages of comprehension would only require about 3 or 4 weeks in that location for me to acquire a good speaking ability, since I have already studied much of their related vocabulary and grammar. So if I had the time and money to do about 20 months of globe-trotting in the right spots with the right environment and regimen, I would be able to speak 26 languages within 2 years. I don't find it very difficult if you have your own system of categorizing vocabulary and a good memory.
I also claim that I can learn an unrelated language I've never touched before in 5-6 weeks as long as I have full-time available, and contact with a native speaker.
So to answer the question WHY? Because it's fun and a very pleasant experience that opens you up to new cultures and peoples. For somebody like me, it's great because I'm in constant contact with multinationals every week.
Hey, Mark, how about yourself? I was under the impression that you know quite a few yourself, including the Chinese ones. Kannst du auch einige Europäische Sprachen? Hoantsai, goa ma guanyi ka li sia banlam-oe e phoe, tse si kong, nasi li u chhubi, tioh ka goa lianlok. Goa chin hoaNhi u chit-e kihoe ka li anne liansip!
Re: why?
Hi Mr. Campbell,
I was truly amazed with your ability to master all those languages. I was an international flight attendants for two major US carriers and had the opportunity to meet multi-lingual people such yourself but what suprising to me was that most of them were such "down to earth" (humble) people. They did not advertise their language abilities. I sincerely believe that Ji did not intend to boast about his/her ability to speak 3 chinese dialects but to explain why majority chinese people are able to speak at least 3 dialects. I feel bad for Ji because most the replies are sarcastic and hurtful toward him, especially critizing his English. Let us be kind and support each other and treat others the way we want to be treated. Have a marvelous day.
Mia
I was truly amazed with your ability to master all those languages. I was an international flight attendants for two major US carriers and had the opportunity to meet multi-lingual people such yourself but what suprising to me was that most of them were such "down to earth" (humble) people. They did not advertise their language abilities. I sincerely believe that Ji did not intend to boast about his/her ability to speak 3 chinese dialects but to explain why majority chinese people are able to speak at least 3 dialects. I feel bad for Ji because most the replies are sarcastic and hurtful toward him, especially critizing his English. Let us be kind and support each other and treat others the way we want to be treated. Have a marvelous day.
Mia